Commodities like steel are a challenge to differentiate based on product features. So, conventionally, steel companies are forced to compete almost solely on price/margins to win orders from customers/dealers. Unfortunately, 'price' is very difficult factor to sustain as differentiator. However, there a way for companies to differentiate themselves using reliability of service in commoditised markets like steel. Tune in to find out how MSP Steel and Power Ltd. transformed its strategy and...

Enormous workload, high uncertainty and heavy dependence on external suppliers all have together made the task of new product development in the auto segment is very challenging and stressful. The process is riddled with rework, problems in production stabilisation, and delays in launch. However, by questioning the traditional paradigms of project management and resolving the core conflict in this environment, NPD lead times can reduce by as much as half. Tune in to find out how for more...

The pandemic brought a totally new level of uncertainty in the business of distribution companies. Detailed plans and forecasts went haywire for many companies. But there were still that stood out from their counterparts in the industry who had unique supply chains designed for agility. These companies had re-designed their end to end supply chain, much before the pandemic,  to react rapidly to vagaries of demand. While agile or rapid reaction end to end supply chains is the need of the...

Building any sort of loyalty in a competitive market is extremely difficult, and even more so when it comes to a commodity business. Let's hear from Mr. Siddharth Bansal, Director, Skipper Limited on how they transformed the distribution model of their polymer business-Skipper Pipes, in order to secure loyalty of channel members and influencers in the market. We discuss the challenges they faced in abandoning the traditional volume-based schemes and implementing a pull distribution system....

In the last episode, we had discussed about the last mile obstacle in any typical retail environment, responsible for companies hitting a glass ceiling after achieving an initial jump in revenue and profitability by abandoning "push" mode of sales and implementing pull-based replenishment systems. We had also promised to share the solution to this obstacle so that companies can have a continuous and ever-flourishing growth model. So, this episode is dedicated to exploring this revolutionary...

The retail solution that Vector Consulting Group has implemented for its clients allows them to enjoy phenomenal growth in secondary sales. However, this pull-based replenishment flow system often hits a new saturation point every so often, which calls for a shift in the approach to unlock the next growth area. This episode on the Counterpoint Podcast is the first part of a two-episode series on this topic. Sunil Davis, a senior consultant with Vector will first unravels how and why the...

Ensuring fast NPD or New Product Development is one of the most important activities for any organization to sustain and grow. However, despite implementing the latest project management software and techniques, interruptions, rework, and lead-times for project completion remains high in environments with very high scope variability. Many CCPM implementations fail as well. This episode on the Counterpoint Podcast is an introduction to a whole new approach for managing NPD projects better....

Let's hear from Mr. R V Gumaste, MD, KFIL about how they sustained the innovative pull-based flow processes in manufacturing and new product development for 7 years without any violations. We discuss what challenges did they faced in implementing and sustaining the new processes.  Tune in! For more details, visit: https://vectorconsulting.in

In an earlier episode, we had touched upon the challenges faced by the OEMs in managing spare parts availability for servicing vehicles. In that discussion, we had identified the core problem behind this challenge. In this episode, we try to counter the conflict with a sustainable solution that enables higher availability and parts sales at much lower inventory as compared to the conventional way of managing spare parts. Also learn about how the shift to electric vehicles can impact the...

In the last episode, we had looked at the troubles a job shop faces day-in-day-out. We also looked at the core conflicts behind these problems and ended the discussion with understanding why the most common solutions implemented to solve these concerns end up in further trouble. This episode is the second part of the same discussion to discuss what are some of the most concrete solutions which not only solves the core conflicts, they are also sustainable and shall continue to be so in the...

Job Shops are one of the most complex manufacturing environments to manage. With frequent  expediting, month end skew, delayed customer orders, and poor coordination between functions, many job shops are wrought with challenges and complications. In a bid to solve these, companies commonly alternate between solutions like capacity enhancement, line dedication and finite scheduling software but for most these are wasted efforts and problems continue. Time to understand the core problem . Tune...

Imagine buying a vehicle and then facing high waiting time for servicing and repairs! Availability of Spares play a major role in the time it takes to get a vehicle out of the service station. Unfortunately, managing inventory of a huge range of spare parts is an Achilles heel for most OEMs. This episode takes a deep dive into the challenges faced by the OEMs and by extension everyone in the supply chain until the customer. We also zero down on the core problem from which all the issues...

Manufacturing industries are marred by many common problems which obstructs flow of inventory like unreliable vendors, frequently missing components for manufacturing, inventory pileups, shifting bottlenecks and finally unhappy customers. In this episode with Mr. Sharan Bansal, Director at Skipper Limited, we discuss the learnings from a transformation of the operating model that was undertaken at Skipper, using flow principles of theory of constraints. For more details, check out the...

We had discussed problems with the current system of financial decision-making across companies in an earlier episode. In this episode we discuss why it is crucial for all organisational decisions to be taken with a clear assessment of their global impact on the firm. Also discussed is, why the techniques like marginal-costing and absorption-costing, does not suffice for this purpose. A new method is offered which not only overcomes the pitfalls of these traditional methods but also takes...

'Is leadership an art or a science?' is a perineal debate. A leader's true nature is witnessed at times of transformation and the challenges it brings along. In this episode, we discuss and analyze why Leadership is a science and not an art and also go further to describe the three important tactics to be effective as a leader. Tune in! You can also check out the link below, for more on Kiran's views on...

We received a lot of messages, directly and indirectly asking us 'if TOC addresses Non-Linear Causality'. Non-linear causality means that A causes B, then B can also boomerang back to A at some point Now, these could be either positive loops or negative. Understanding these loops, as they exist in an organization, is very critical for any change agent. Without understanding the existing causal loops at play, interventions can lead to waste of time and capacity. This is one of the reasons of...

This episode on the Counterpoint Podcast focuses on the decision making with financial implications. When it comes to anything financial, organisations typically depend on a department specialised in it - the finance department. Dr. Anil Lamba, a financial literacy activist, discusses with us how this fact is the very reason why companies, at times, take disastrous decisions. Listen to this episode to understand why financial know-how and know-why is important for every manager and what...

What really is a ‘constraint’ as referred to in Theory of Constraints? The dictionary defines a constraint as a limitation, a restriction, or an obstacle. Taking it literally, many misunderstand theory of constraints to be the art of overcoming obstacles and hinderances which come in the course of work. This is NOT Theory of Constraints. Listen to this episode to find out how to identify a constraint in a system, exploit it and gain higher productivity. For more information and...

We received a lot of requests to share some client stories and learnings from their business transformation journeys. So, here we are with Mr. Anil Mathur, COO at Godrej Interio. He talks about how they solved the perennial conflict for sales bandwidth between converting current enquiries and developing new leads by releasing significant capacity for business development from the existing team.  In B2B companies, on the one hand sales teams must meet new customers to develop new business, and...

Chronic problems stay unresolved due to inherent conflicts in resolving them. Conflicts manifests as design contradictions (example: fuel efficiency vs power) or in interpersonal issues (I want to do x, while my partner doesn’t want to do it). Is there an approach to resolve these conflicts and contradictions? What kind of mindset is required to deal with conflicts and contradictions? This episode talks about mindset required to solve conflicts and the underlying techniques. Listen to the...

Multitasking is considered an important skill to achieve more in less time. But is it really the most effective way to get more output? The episode takes a deep dive into this topic and includes an interesting DIY activity to help you check if Multi-tasking does or does not work. Keep a pen, paper, and your phone ready before you begin listening. Tune in and enjoy! Another example of how multi-tasking can ruin your output:...

We have either mentioned or discussed the supplier bullwhip effect in many of our previous episodes, especially the ones around the supply chain and operations solutions. We received many messages from our fellow listeners, and so we thought it high time we must take this topic up. Supplier Bullwhip is basically an ill effect of a supply chain practice of OEMs who use a combination of monthly forecasting and daily expediting to manage their assembly lines. The suppliers down below are the...

In the past 3 episodes on the Thinking Processes series, we have discussed how the philosophy goes to the deepest level of a problem at hand, how it buids the logic around it and how it identifies the root cause to take a stab at it. Hence, it makes an extremely helpful tool for anyone, especially managers and leaders. However, it takes some amount of practice to become proficient in using the tool. It has some very easy-to-follow starting steps which can help one get started on the journey...

Many plants are often marred by poor efficiencies, late deliveries, and a perpetual fire-fighting mode. After decades of efforts, most of them have given up on solving the chronic problem. But there is a way out, an easy one, if one can understand the core conflict. This episode takes through understanding of the problems, core reasons for these problems and solutions which can literally turn around the plant performance. Don't miss this one. More details on...

Find out how to overcome bias in decision making by using the right thougt-ware. Bad decisions can have long standing consequences. So, in order to avoid bias, managers tend to rely on data. Unfortunately, data is does not always help differentiate between truth and perception. For instance, two managers might have two different interpretations of the same data; or two opposing views can have fully reliable data supporting them. Sometimes, there is no data at hand. How can managers go beyond...